Columbus Crew finalize TV deal

By Ben Ferree and Pro Soccer USA

Feb 26, 2019 | 2:56 PM

After a beleagured tenure on Spectrum Sports, Columbus Crew SC announced today a return to Fox Sports Ohio. 33 of the team's games will appear on either Fox Sports Ohio, or their sister station Sports Time Ohio. Additionally, the games will be available for streaming on the Fox Sports Go app.

The move provides a greater opportunity for fans across the buckeye state to view Crew games. Previously, only Spectrum cable customers or those living in the Columbus viewing market could watch games. Fox Sports Ohio carries a much larger reach and is available on a variety of service providers, including traditional measures such as cable or sattelite and newer methods like YouTube TV.

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"On behalf of Columbus Crew SC, we are thrilled to announce this partnership with FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio and we are excited to re-join their stellar programming lineup of broadcast coverage," said Columbus Crew SC President Tim Bezbatchenko. "One of our core tenants as an organization is to seek deep engagement with our supporters and so we are pleased that this partnership allows for not only a top-notch broadcasting product, but also offers supporters the added benefit and flexibility to tune-in via the stream on FOX Sports GO."

"Fox Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio are pleased to welcome the Columbus Crew back to our all-star programming lineup," said Tom Farmer, Vice President of Programming and Production, FOX Sports Ohio and SportsTime Ohio. "This is a new era for the Crew, and we are excited to deliver in-depth coverage for the team's passionate fan base."

Longtime Crew commentators Neil Sika and Dwight Burgess will return to their roles for a 30 minute pregame and postgame show, a feature that was lacking in recent years.

The only game not on the local tv deal will be the August 25th matchup against FC Cincinnati, which will be televised nationally on FS1.